The Best Dishes Eater Atlanta Ate in January 2023

Eater Atlanta’s editor and contributors spend every week dining out at multiple restaurants and pop-ups in search of the next great bite or cocktail. Some meals and drinks are definitely better than others and deserve a shoutout. Below are the best dishes Eater’s editor ate in January.

Pistachio cake at Le Bon Nosh

Beth McKibben

I occasionally pop over to Le Bon Nosh in the mid-afternoon for a slice of cake and a glass of champagne or cup of tea, whether that’s enjoying this delightful interlude between lunch and dinner at a cafe table inside or on the covered patio. One of my favorite cakes here is the pistachio garnished with slivers of the aforementioned nut. It’s not overwrought or slathered in thick buttercream, but light and fresh and delicately moist with subtle notes of pistachio in each bite. This pistachio cake is a lovely complement to a glass of toasty champagne or cup of chai or Earl Grey tea. I also highly recommend the lemon olive oil cake at Le Bon Nosh. Order at the counter and find a seat.

Fried pickles and umami fries at the Companion

My son wanted a good burger the night before heading back to college after the holiday break. We landed at the Companion in the Bolton neighborhood for patty melts. A burger is never the wrong move at this neighborhood joint. Before we tucked into burgers, we indulged in fried pickles and umami fries. Chef and owner Andy Gonzales isn’t afraid to play with flavors and takes comfort foods like these to the next level, using dashi powder to punch up the vinegar and savoriness of fried pickles. The bowl of crispy fries are tossed with Pine Street Market bacon bits and fresh scallions drizzled in Sriracha mayo and topped with furikake (a sweet and savory Japanese condiment.) Umami indeed.

Poh’s eggplant at Ticonderoga Club “Roadshow”

Damage caused by the rupture of a massive water pipe in December led to the temporary closure of the 2023 James Beard award semifinalist at Krog Street Market. Until Ticonderoga Club reopens, which might be as soon as the end of February or early March, folks can find the restaurant popping up nearby on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings at Bread and Butterfly. The Ticonderoga Club “Roadshow” menu features some of restaurant’s most popular dishes, including the roasted duck breast and Poh’s eggplant. The latter has been a personal favorite of mine since chef David Bies debuted the dish at the Club a little over five years ago. Tender coins of roasted eggplant are tossed with toasted coconut, Thai chilis, and fresh herbs sitting atop a bed of fragrant jasmine rice. The Bali sauce brings hints of savoriness and warm spices to the dish. It’s a hug in a bowl I never tire of eating.

Focaccia, biscuits, and tinned fish at the Larakin

Jordan Chambers, a former co-owner in Steady Hand Pour House with Dale Donchey (Spiller Park Coffee), has something special going on at his coffee and wine bar Larakin on 12th Street. Located on the ground floor of a short-term rental hotel near the 12th Street entrance to Piedmont Park, this mostly outdoor establishment has become a gathering spot for neighborhood residents and coffee and wine aficionados since opening in November. Chambers says the large front patio is by design the “heart of Larakin” — a space that will only continue filling with people as the weather warms up in Atlanta. I can’t say enough about the freshly baked focaccia here, which on any given day can come with roasted tomato and mozzarella baked in or sprinkled with sea salt. Try the biscuits or lemon scones when they’re on the menu. While waiting for its liquor license, the Larakin is BYOB for wine and beer throughout the day. I recommend swinging by on BYOB nights, Thursday through Saturday, for tinned fish, focaccia, and plates of cured meats and cheeses. The dog-friendly patio is heated, and there is a small table for two inside. However, you’ll likely find people standing around the counter with drinks in hand chatting with Chambers, who is clearly excited to be part of the Midtown dining scene.

Chochoyotes at La Semilla

My job requires me to dine at new restaurants every month, often within days or weeks of opening. Those first few weeks for a new restaurant are frequently filled with glitches in service and uneven dishes, as staff and chefs work out kinks. I go into a new restaurant with an open mind, sometimes knowing multiple trips are necessary to form a solid opinion. It’s rare for a brand new restaurant to knock it out the park on the first visit, but that’s exactly what happened at La Semilla, a vegan restaurant now open in Reynoldstown centered on Cuban-Mexican flavors and dishes. Having previously eaten at (and thoroughly enjoyed) Sophia Marchese and Reid Trapani’s pop-up Happy Seed, I knew what to expect from the couple and the food at La Semilla. From the design, to the vibe, to the music, to the service, to the food, I was blown away. Trapani, the chef, is a flavor master, creating magical meatless versions of vegan chicken tamals steamed in banana leaves served with a punchy ancho sauce or croquetas de jamon stuffed with seitan ham he makes himself. It was flavor bomb after flavor bomb. But the chochoyotes were the showstopper. For the chochoyotes (masa dumplings filled with corn puree,) Trapani makes a corn stock from leftover cobs and mixes it with coconut milk. Sitting in a thin layer of coconut-corn broth, the chochoyotes are then topped with a poblano-corn sofrito and matcha oil served with freshly fried tortillas for scooping. A triumph.

Got a favorite dish you enjoy at a restaurant or pop-up around Atlanta you think Eater should check out. Email beth.mckibben@eater.com with details.

Ticonderoga Club

99 Krog Street Northeast, , GA 30307 (404) 458-4534 Visit Website

Le Bon Nosh

65 Irby Avenue Northwest, , GA 30305 (404) 835-2007 Visit Website

The Companion

2316 Marietta Road Northwest, , GA 30318 (404) 228-1632 Visit Website